1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink tank provided with a semiconductor element having functions of detecting environmental information of the surroundings to communicate the information to the outside and display the same, or having functions of detecting information inside an ink tank (e.g., an ink residual amount) using a semiconductor element to communicate the information to the outside and display the same.
In addition, the present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus such as a facsimile machine, a printer and a copying machine to which the ink tank is detachably mountable.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, in an ink jet recording apparatus for printing an image on a sheet with dot patterns by moving a carriage, which is provided with a recording head, in a printing direction while jetting ink from a plurality of jet nozzles provided in the recording head, an ink tank containing ink for recording is provided and the ink in the ink tank is supplied to the recording head via an ink supply line. Therefore, an ink residual amount detection apparatus, with which a residual amount of the ink in the ink tank is detected, has been practically used, and a variety of ink residual amount detection apparatuses have been proposed.
For example, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-143607, two (a pair of) electrodes 702 are disposed on an internal surface of the bottom of an ink tank 701 that is filled with nonconductive ink, and a float body 703, on which electrodes 704 opposing the electrodes 702 are disposed, floats in ink contained in the ink tank 701 as shown in FIGS. 26A to 26C of the patent application. The patent application discloses that the two electrodes 702 are connected respectively to a detecting unit (not shown) for detecting a conduction state of both the electrodes, and when detecting the conductance of both the electrodes, the detecting unit outputs a residual ink error signal indicating that no ink is left in the ink tank 701 and stops operations of an ink jet recording head 705.
In addition, Japanese Patent No. 2947245 discloses an ink cartridge 805 for an ink cartridge 805 for ink jet printer with a configuration in which a lower part is formed in a funnel-shape toward a bottom surface, two electric conductors 801 and 802 are provided on the bottom surface and a metal ball 804 having specific gravity smaller than that of ink 803 is provided inside. In such a configuration, when the ink 803 is consumed and decreases, the liquid level of the ink 803 is lowered. As the liquid level of the ink 803 is lowered, the position of the metal ball 804 floating on the liquid level is also lowered. When the liquid level of the ink 803 is lowered to the position of the bottom surface of the ink cartridge housing, the metal ball 804 contacts the two electric conductors 801 and 802. Then, since the electric conductors 801 and 802 continue each other, an electric current flows between them. If the flow of the current is detected, an ink end state can be detected. If the ink end state is detected, information indicating the ink end state is communicated to a user.
Configurations for detecting an ink residual amount in an ink tank as represented by the conventional art disclosed in the above-mentioned patent and patent application are known. In the above-mentioned configurations, it is necessary to dispose electrodes for detection in the ink tank such that information and a state are detected and communicated by directly contacting elements themselves such as electrodes and a float body or electric conductors and a metal ball. In addition, since the ink residual amount is detected by a conduction state between the electrodes, there is a restriction on ink to be used as indicated by the fact that a metal ion cannot be used as an ink component, or the like.
In addition, only the ink residual amount can be detected and the other information on the inside of the tank cannot be found from the outside in the above-mentioned configurations. For example, pressure information inside the ink tank, variations of a physical property of the ink, or the like are parameters that are important for always operating an ink jet head with a stable discharge amount. Thus, a tank is desired which can inform, on a real time basis, an ink jet recording apparatus in the outside of a pressure inside the tank that varies every moment in accordance with the consumption of the ink in the tank, or can communicate the variations of the physical property of the ink to the outside.
Moreover, an ink tank is desired which does not only unilaterally informs the outside of information detected in the ink tank but also can execute bidirectional exchanges of information such as returning inside information in response to an inquiry from the outside.
In developing an ink tank such as those described above, inventors of the present invention took notice of a ball semiconductor of Ball Semiconductor, Inc. in which a semiconductor integrated circuit was formed on a spherical surface of a silicon ball with a diameter of one millimeter. Since the ball semiconductor had a spherical shape, it was expected that, if this ball semiconductor was contained in the ink tank, the detection of surrounding environmental information and the bidirectional exchanges of information with the outside could be performed extremely efficiently compared with a flat-shaped one. However, when the inventors searched an ink tank having such functions, it was found that only a technology for connecting ball semiconductors by electric wiring as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,943 is existed, and that it is necessary to develop an element itself having the above-mentioned functions. In addition, in order to make this element effectively applicable to the ink tank, there were problems that should be cleared. One of the problems is supply of electricity for activating the element contained in the tank. If a power source for activating the element is provided in the ink tank, the tank becomes larger, or even if the power source is provided outside the tank, wiring is necessary between the power source and the element. As a result, since manufacturing costs of the tank increases and a tank cartridge becomes expensive, a user has to activate the element from the outside without contacting it or has to activate the element by directly contacting it.
In addition, it is not conventionally known that a user communicates information between two elements disposed in remote places without contacting them or communicates with and controls a configuration that is provided with, for example, a plurality of pairs consisting of two elements.
Thus, the present invention is for realizing a new configuration for communicating information between two elements disposed in remote places without contacting and for discriminating which pair is selected among a plurality of pairs consisting of two elements to communicate with and control, for example, with respect to a configuration of a communication system provided with the pairs of elements.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink tank that has a simple configuration not requiring to draw around wiring from the element on the ink tank and provided with a solid semiconductor element capable of extremely efficiently performing bidirectional exchanges of information with the outside such as detection of information in the ink tank, and an ink jet recording apparatus provided with the ink tank.
In addition, it is another object of the present invention to provide an ink tank that extremely efficiently performing detection of surrounding environmental information and bidirectional exchanges of information with the outside, thereby being capable of detecting detailed information in the ink tank on a real time basis and bidirectionally performing exchanges of information with an ink jet recording apparatus in the outside, and an ink jet recording apparatus provided with the tank.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a communication method that is capable of efficiently performing determination and selection of a pair of elements among a plurality of pairs or communication and control between the elements, an ink tank employing the communication method, an ink jet recording apparatus and a communication system.
In order to solve the above-mentioned objects, an ink tank of the present invention is an ink tank for holding ink, which is supplied to a recording head for recording information by applying the ink on a medium for recording information thereon, in an ink containing chamber substantially surrounded by a wall, wherein the ink tank has a solid semiconductor element that comprises: information acquiring means for acquiring environmental information of the outside; information storing means for storing information to be compared with the information acquired by the information acquiring means; discriminating means for comparing the information acquired by the information acquiring means and information stored in the information storing means, which corresponds to the acquired information, to determine the necessity of communicating information; and information communicating means for displaying the information acquired by the information acquiring means or communicating the information to the outside if the discriminating means determines that it is necessary to communicate information, and wherein a solid semiconductor element is embedded in the wall such that a part of the solid semiconductor element exposes from a side of the wall contacting the ink, and the information acquiring means is disposed in the exposed part.
According to this configuration, since the information acquiring means is disposed in a part exposed from the side of the wall of the solid semiconductor element contacting the ink, a residual amount of the ink, pH of the ink inside the ink tank can be acquired preferably. Then, the acquired information can be compared with information stored by the information storing means, which corresponds to the acquired information, by the discriminating means and can be displayed or communicated to the outside by the information communicating means according to the comparison result.
The solid semiconductor element can be embedded in the wall such that it is exposed from the both sides of the ink tank utilizing its solid shape. In this way, means can be disposed in an exposed part opposite the exposed part on the side contacting the ink, which functions preferably because it is exposed.
For example, an electrical contact can be disposed preferably on the part exposed to the outside by embedding the solid semiconductor element in the outer wall. That is, in this way, communication of information between the solid semiconductor element and a recording apparatus main body, supply of energy for activating the solid semiconductor element or the like can be performed via a contact provided in a part supporting the ink tank. In addition, the information communicating means can be disposed preferably in the part exposed to the outside, which can acquire an advantage of being capable of efficiently communicating a signal to the outside because it is exposed to the outside. In this case, the solid semiconductor element is disposed such that it can be seen from the outside, whereby a user can directly confirm information from the information communicating means with the information communicating means as means for communicating information to the outside by a visually recognizable method such as emitting light.
In addition, the solid semiconductor element is embedded in an inner wall dividing the inside of the ink tank into a plurality of ink containing chambers, and each independent information acquiring means is disposed in a part exposed from one side of the inner wall and a part exposed from the other side. Thus, information on the ink inside the ink containing chambers on both the sides divided by the inner wall can be detected by one solid semiconductor element.
Instead of disposing one solid semiconductor element to be exposed from the both sides of the wall, a first solid semiconductor element having a part exposed from one side of the wall and a second solid semiconductor element having a part exposed from the other side may be provided to communicate information between them.
In the present invention, if a plurality of solid semiconductor elements are disposed in a plurality of parts on a wall, a state of ink in the plurality of parts inside an ink tank can be detected to confirm a state inside the ink tank more in detail. In this case, communication of information of the plurality of solid semiconductor elements is performed by signals of different frequencies, respectively, or a specific signal assigned to each of them is communicated together with acquired information by the plurality of solid semiconductor elements. Thus, it can be made distinguishable which solid semiconductor element outputted a signal.
In the present invention, receiving means for receiving a signal from the outside is further provided in the solid semiconductor element, and environmental information inside the ink containing chamber is acquired by the information acquiring means according to the signal received by the receiving means. Thus, bidirectional exchanges of information can be performed such as taking out information in the ink tank according to a request from the outside. This receiving means is advantageously disposed in a part of the solid semiconductor element, which is exposed to the outside of the tank.
In addition, it is desirable to further provide in the solid semiconductor elements energy converting means for converting energy from the outside into energy of a different kind such that activation energy for the solid semiconductor element can be easily supplied from the outside. This energy converting means is advantageously disposed in a part of the solid semiconductor element, which is exposed to the outside of the tank.
If the energy converting means is means having an electric conductor coil, which generates electricity by electromagnetic induction between the energy converting means and an external oscillating circuit, and an oscillating circuit, energy can be supplied to the solid semiconductor element from the outside in a non-contact state. In addition, in this case, a state of the ink in the ink tank can be detected utilizing a characteristic that an inductance of an electric conductor coil is changed by contacting the ink.
In addition, the recording apparatus of the present invention is provided with the ink tank as described above. The recording apparatus in this case preferably has means for supplying an electromotive force as external energy, which is converted by the energy converting means, to the solid semiconductor element in the ink tank. As this electromotive force, electromagnetic induction, heat, light or radiation is possible. In addition, the recording apparatus desirably has means for receiving a communication signal from the solid semiconductor element.
In addition, the present invention for attaining the above-mentioned objects is a method of communicating with a plurality of groups of elements with two or more solid semiconductor elements among a plurality of solid semiconductor elements disposed in a predetermined container forming one group, wherein the plurality of solid semiconductor elements comprises: information acquiring means for acquiring information; information communicating means for displaying or communicating the information acquired by the information acquiring means; and energy converting means for converting energy given from the outside into energy of a kind for operating the information acquiring means and the information communicating means, which is different from the energy given from the outside, wherein communication is performed with a communication condition different for each of the groups of elements.
In addition, the present invention is a method of communicating with a plurality of groups of elements with two or more solid semiconductor elements among a plurality of solid semiconductor elements disposed in a predetermined container forming one group, wherein the plurality of solid semiconductor elements comprises: information acquiring means for acquiring information; discriminating means for discriminating information based on the information acquired from the information acquiring means and a data table stored in advance; information communicating means for displaying or communicating the information determined by the discriminating means; and energy converting means for converting energy given from the outside into energy of a kind for operating the information acquiring means, the discriminating means and the information communicating means, which is different from the energy given from the outside, wherein communication is performed with a communication condition different for each of the groups of elements.
In addition, the present invention is a method of communicating with a plurality of solid semiconductor elements provided in a predetermined container, wherein the plurality of solid semiconductor elements comprises; information acquiring means for acquiring information; information communicating means for displaying or communicating the information acquired by the information acquiring means; and energy converting means for converting energy given from the outside into energy of a kind for operating the information acquiring means and the information communicating means, which is different from the energy given from the outside, wherein each of the solid semiconductor elements has information for distinction or a memory, and communication is performed by recognizing the information for distinction or distinguishing the information by the memory.
In addition, the present invention is a method of communicating with a plurality of solid semiconductor elements provided in a predetermined container, wherein the plurality of solid semiconductor elements comprises: information acquiring means for acquiring information; discriminating means for discriminating information based on the information acquired from the information acquiring means and a data table stored in advance; information communicating means for displaying or communicating the information determined by the discriminating means; and energy converting means for converting energy given from the outside into energy of a kind for operating the information acquiring means, the discriminating means and the information communicating means, which is different from the energy given from the outside, wherein each of the solid semiconductor elements has information for distinction or a memory, and communication is performed by recognizing the information for distinction or distinguishing the information by the memory.
In addition, the present invention is an ink tank for containing ink, wherein the ink tank includes two or more solid semiconductor elements, which comprises; energy converting means for converting energy given from the outside into energy of a different kind; information acquiring means for acquiring environmental information of the outside; information storing means for storing information to be compared with the information acquired by the information acquiring means; discriminating means for comparing the information acquired by the information acquiring means and the information stored in the information storing means, which corresponds to the acquired information, to determine the necessity of communicating information; and information communicating means for displaying the information acquired by the information acquiring means or communicating the information to the outside if the discriminating means determines that communication of information is necessary, and the information acquiring means, the information storing means, the discriminating means and the information communicating means are activated by the energy converted by the energy converting means, and wherein the two or more solid semiconductor elements have a function of detecting environmental information of the surrounding of the solid semiconductor elements to communicate the environmental information to the outside or display the environmental information by communicating with each other.
In addition, the ink tank of the present invention is provided with: energy converting means for converting energy given from the outside into energy of a different kind; receiving means for receiving a signal from the outside; information storing means for storing information; and information communicating means for displaying or communicating the information of the information storing means according to the signal received by the receiving means, wherein the receiving means, the information storing means and the information communicating means have two or more solid semiconductor elements that are activated by the energy converted by the energy converting means, and the two or more solid semiconductor elements have a function of detecting environmental information of the surrounding of the solid semiconductor elements to communicate the environmental information to the outside or display the environmental information by communicating with each other.
The solid semiconductor element of the present invention is provided with: energy converting means for converting energy given from the outside into energy of a different kind; receiving means for receiving a signal from the outside; information acquiring means for acquiring environmental information of the outside; information storing means for storing information to be compared with the information acquired by the information acquiring means; and discriminating means for causing the information acquiring means to acquire environmental information of the outside according to the signal received by the receiving means and comparing the acquired information and the information stored in the information storing means, which corresponds to the acquired information, to discriminate whether or not the acquired information meets a predetermined condition and information communicating means for displaying or communicating at least the determination result of the discriminating means to the outside, wherein the receiving means, the information storing means, the discriminating means and the information communicating means have two or more solid semiconductor elements that are activated by the energy converted by the energy converting means, and the two or more solid semiconductor elements have a function of detecting environmental information of the surrounding of the solid semiconductor elements to communicate the environmental information to the outside or display the environmental information by communicating with each other.
The information communicating means of the solid semiconductor element may display information or communicate information to the other solid semiconductor elements, and the receiving means may receive a signal from the other solid semiconductor elements. Moreover, at least one of the two or more solid semiconductor elements as described above may have a function of giving an electromotive force to the other solid semiconductor elements.
In the solid semiconductor element as described above, external energy to be converted by the energy converting means is preferably supplied in a non-contact state.
In addition, in the solid semiconductor element as described above, the energy converted by the energy converting means is electricity. As the external energy to be converted by the energy converting means into electricity, an electromotive force by electromagnetic induction, heat, light or radiation is possible.
As the information communicating means in this case, means for converting electricity converted by the energy converting means into a magnetic field, light, a shape, a color, an electric wave or sound, which is energy for displaying information or communicating information to the outside, is possible.
In addition, as the energy converting means, means having an electric conductor coil, which generates electricity by electromagnetic induction between the means and an external oscillating circuit, and an oscillating circuit is possible. The electric conductor coil is preferably formed such that it winds itself around an outer surface of the solid semiconductor element.
In addition, the solid semiconductor element as described above may be further provided with buoyance force generating means for generating buoyance force using energy converted by the energy converting means.
In addition, the solid semiconductor element as described above may have a hollow part for floating on a liquid level or a predetermined position in the liquid.
In this case, it is preferable that a center of gravity of the solid semiconductor element floating in the liquid is positioned in a part lower than the center of the element, and the element does not rotate in the liquid, in which it floats, and steadily rocks. In addition, a meta center of the solid semiconductor element is always in a position higher than the center of gravity of the solid semiconductor element in the direction of the center of gravity.
These two or more solid semiconductor elements can be provided not only in liquid in an ink tank but also outside the liquid. It can be moved to other places by giving an electromotive force or causing it to communicate. In addition, it may be fixed in a definite place if necessary.
In addition, the plurality of solid semiconductor elements preferably does not always communicate but communicates if necessary from the viewpoint of saving energy. An application such as giving a new function to the plurality of solid semiconductor elements by combining them is also possible.
In addition, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is provided with the above-mentioned ink tank. The recording apparatus in this case preferably has means for supplying an electromotive force to the plurality of solid semiconductor elements in the ink tank as external energy to be converted by the energy converting means. As the electromotive force, electromagnetic induction, heat, light or radiation is possible. Moreover, the above-mentioned ink jet recording apparatus preferably has means for receiving communication from the solid semiconductor element.
When the electromotive force is supplied to the plurality of solid semiconductor elements, it is possible to first supply the electromotive force to a main solid semiconductor element among the two or more solid semiconductor elements from the outside and to the other solid semiconductor element from the main solid semiconductor element. Alternatively, it is possible that the electromotive force is supplied to the plurality of solid semiconductor elements directly from the outside.
In addition, the present invention is a communication system using a solid semiconductor element, which is provided with: a liquid container in which two or more solid semiconductor elements are disposed; an oscillating circuit having an electric conductor coil, information acquiring means for acquiring information on the inside of the container, receiving means for receiving a signal from the outside and information communicating means for communicating information to the outside that are formed in the solid semiconductor element; an external oscillating circuit, which is disposed outside the solid semiconductor element, for generating electricity by electromagnetic induction between the external oscillating circuit and the oscillating circuit of the solid semiconductor element; and external communicating means for bidirectionally communicating between the receiving means and the information communicating means of the solid semiconductor element.
In the communication system of this case, it is preferable that a center of gravity of the solid semiconductor element floating in the liquid, among the two or more solid semiconductor element, is positioned in a part lower than the center of the element, and the element does not rotate in the liquid, in which it floats, and steadily rocks. In addition, a meta center of the solid semiconductor element is always in a position higher than the center of gravity of the solid semiconductor element in the direction of the center of gravity.
If a method of supplying external energy is used in an ink jet recording apparatus, it is sufficient to provide means for supplying an electromotive force to an element as external energy in a recovery position, a return position, a carriage, a head or the like. In addition, if an apparatus having means for supplying an electromotive force is used, a state inside an ink tank can be found without the ink jet recording apparatus, for example, if it is used in a factory or a sales shop, it can be used for inspection or the like (guarantee of quality).
When specific energy is given to the solid semiconductor element of the present invention for attaining the above-mentioned objects from the outside of the element or from the main solid semiconductor element (preferably in a non-contact state), the energy converting means converts the external energy into different energy, and the solid semiconductor element activates the information acquiring means, the discriminating means, the information storing means and the information communicating means by the converted energy. The activated information acquiring means acquires environmental information around the element. The discriminating means then reads information for referring to the acquired information from the information storing means and compares the read stored information and the acquired information to determine the necessity of communication information. Then, if the discriminating means determines that it is necessary to communicate information, it causes the information communicating means to communicate the acquired information to the outside.
In this way, since a function of acquiring surrounding environmental information to communicate it to the outside is incorporated in a semiconductor element of a solid shape, information can be acquired and communicated three-dimensionally. Thus, a direction of communicating information is not limited compared with the case in which a semiconductor element of a flat shape is used. Therefore, surrounding environmental information can be efficiently acquired and communicated to the outside.
In addition, when a plurality of solid semiconductor elements are disposed in a predetermined container to communicate with a plurality of groups of elements with two or more solid semiconductor elements among the plurality of solid semiconductor elements in the predetermined container forming one group, communication is performed with a different communication condition for each of the element groups. As a result, it becomes possible to efficiently performing determination and selection of a pair of elements among the plurality of pairs and communication and control between the elements. Alternatively, each of the plurality of solid semiconductor elements provided in the predetermined container has information for distinction or a memory, and communication is performed by recognizing the information for distinction or distinguishing the information by the memory. Thus, it also becomes possible to efficiently performing determination and selection of a pair of elements among the plurality of pairs and communication and control between the elements.
Moreover, information corresponding to a received signal can be acquired and a determination result of comparison with the stored information can be communicated to the outside together with the acquired information by adding communicating means for receiving a signal from the outside. Thus, it is also possible to bidirectionally exchange signals with an external element.
In addition, more than two solid semiconductor elements of this kind are disposed in an ink tank, and environmental information of the surrounding of the semiconductor solid elements is detected by mutually communicating between the two or more solid elements, and the environmental information is communicated to and displayed in the outside. Thus, it is possible to communicate information on ink contained in the ink tank, a pressure in the tank or the like to, for example, an ink jet recording apparatus in the outside on a real time basis. This is advantageous in controlling, for example, an amount of negative pressure that changes every moment in accordance with ink consumption to stabilize discharge of ink jet.
Moreover, since external energy for activating a solid semiconductor element is supplied in a non-contact state, there is no need to provide an energy source for activating an element in an ink tank or to connect wiring for supplying energy to the element. Thus, the solid semiconductor element can be used in a part where it is difficult to draw around wiring directly connected to the outside.
For example, when energy for activating an element is electricity, an electric conductor coil for an oscillating circuit as an external energy converting means is formed such that it winds itself around an outer surface of the solid semiconductor element. Thus, it is possible to generate electricity in the electric conductor coil by electromagnetic induction between the solid semiconductor element and the external oscillating circuit to supply the electricity to the element in a non-contact state.
In this case, since the coil is wound around the outer surface of the element, the magnitude of the inductance of the coil varies in response to, for example, existence of ink, a residual amount of the ink, ink pH in the ink tank. Therefore, since the oscillating circuit changes an oscillating frequency in response to the variation of the inductance, it is possible to detect a residual amount of the ink in the ink tank based on the variation of the oscillating frequency to be changed.
In addition, the solid semiconductor element has a hollow part for floating in liquid, and is formed such that a center of gravity of the element is positioned lower than the center of the element. Therefore, for example, even if the recording head provided in the ink jet recording apparatus and the ink tank operate serially and ink in the ink tank rocks up and down or left and right, the solid semiconductor element can detect information on the ink or a pressure in the tank with high accuracy while steadily floated in the ink in the ink tank. Moreover, the coil of the oscillating circuit formed in the element is held in a stable position with respect to a coil of the external oscillating circuit to allow stable bidirectional communication at all times.
Further, the term solid in the solid semiconductor element throughout this specification includes all of various solid forms such as a triangular prism, a sphere, a hemisphere, a quadratic prism, a spheroid and an uniaxial body of rotation.
In addition, the term meta center in this specification indicates an intersection of a line of action of weight in balance and a line of action of buoyance force when slanted.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.